insurmountable | you know i'm the type / type to risk my life, not afraid to die

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you know i'm the type / type to risk my life, not afraid to die

[Call it crazy, call it morbid curiosity, call it insane. A craving for battle, a craving to test his skills against the powerhouses of the Abyss, he follows a few Heralds into the portal they'd left behind as they whisked themselves away from the camp they'd set up for their next assault in Teyvat. He couldn't leave the Abyss without aid, of course, but if he could find his master once again, he'd be able to return to Teyvat. And maybe get a good sparring match out of her while he was at it. Either way, he's got his sights set on those Heralds who thought they were alone, announcing himself behind them as he brandishes his weapons with glee.

They look surprised. Good. That was the point.

The battle rages on for some time. They prove to be incredible foes, taking several on at once. One dies, cut down by the Harbinger- the others wounded badly. But what Childe hadn't counted on was that they'd get reinforcements so soon, and with more numbers, they manage to overpower him. The Foul Legacy Transformation still proves to be a large burden on his body, and with waning strength, he finds himself captured and chained. The remaining Heralds drag him to an incredible hollowed out ruin, one that looks like the very architecture of the ancient dynasty from Khaenri'ah itself. Finally, he's thrown to the ground in a room that clearly was made for some sort of royalty, his knees hitting the concrete hard.

His head bowed, he coughs up blood, knowing he'd really messed up this time. This isn't good, and he has no way out of it. His body is wrecked. It's taking all his strength just to keep from passing out, as he looks up and sees the leader of the Abyss...]

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[ isn't her declaration enough for him? or does he want some other way of confirming her lack of desire to involve the humans in her war? she supposes his distrust in her is the reason for it, but she doesn't see the need to reiterate her words over and over again.

she stops at the threshold of the doorway, turning her gaze on him. ]

If I say yes to those questions, then there's no need for this conversation to continue here.

[ in his home, where it's clear a conversation such as this should remain but also an unnecessary place for her to be in. if he gets the response he wants to hear, then there's no need to prolong this encounter. ]

You'd be right, if I was finished. Besides, I want to hear you agree to the terms, not some vague statement that could mean anything you want it to.

[Is he being a little demanding? Perhaps, but it's absolutely necessary to him.]

We also need to discuss the matter of...this.

[He looks down to his Vision. He doesn't know how much this is going to be a problem.]

[ does he want to call the god of contracts too? still, lumine simply sighs and follows him into his apartment, already feeling exhausted by this. perhaps she shouldn't have agreed to this at all, wondering if this alliance is even worth it, to begin with.

her gaze flickers at his vision, the orb glowing blue. ]

You can give it up willingly. [ his vision, his powers. everything that's to do with celestia. ] The gods will relinquish their hold on you.

[ the question is, can he? she knows what he's capable of with his vision, his powers. and someone like him who wishes to conquer the world, that's giving up a part of him. ]

[He pulls a chair out for her, before taking a seat himself, one foot coming up to rest on his knee as he props his head up with one hand, elbow on the armrest of the chair.]

I know. I never thought I'd come to view my own Vision as a problem. But I'm sure you understand that I'm unwilling to give up this power. In order to be rid of it, I have to accept in my own heart that I don't need nor want it.

[His eyes flash- the thought of what could be, what power he might achieve burns in his mind.]

But fighting your heralds made me realize something. The creatures of the Abyss can still control the elements- tell me, is that something I'll be able to use as well? It may be motivation enough to cast away my Vision.

[ lumine leans back in her seat, her gaze wandering around the apartment. no doubt provided by his organisation as the harbinger assigned to liyue—and he's giving it all up? she can't tell if he's being reckless or stupid or both. ]

Cast away your Vision, and my Heralds can show you how.

[ no guarantees that her heralds won't try to kill him, but she doesn't say that. she supposes she could always tell them not to kill him. ]

But know that you won't be the same once you've accepted the Abyss as part of you. [ he should know, as someone who had once fallen into its depths. how it corrupts, how it stains a person entirely. ] You have siblings, don't you? A family? That will all change ...

I'll do whatever I must to attain my goal of conquering the world.

[That was a goal he'd gained after leaving the Abyss anyway, gazing at her with complete dedication to his passion.]

I've always accepted that one day, I would never see my family again, though this isn't quite how I imagined it. To seek endless battle, living on the euphoria of walking on the edge of life and death, I thought that I would die long before this day would ever come. ...They're already used to my absence...though what will happen to me? Will I mutate permanently into some monster from the Abyss?

[Or maybe he would be stuck in his Foul Legacy Transformation...]

[ who knew she'd find a person like him on this continent? the abyss has certainly warped him even from his very first fall, and perhaps that's the reason why this conversation is even happening. destiny, or whatever people would like to call this. ]

Yes.

[ there's no reason for her to hide it from him. there's no point, anyway, not when the corruption of the abyss is inevitable the longer you stay in there. perhaps there will even come a time when he will be unrecognisable. ]

You could maintain a human form if you'd like. [ it's not common among her servants, but it's a useful ability. ] So you can visit your family whenever you want to.

That's better news than I expected, [he admits, the small shadows of a smile hinting at the corners of his mouth. He'd been prepared for the worst of news, that he'd just twist into a form that was no longer human, without any way of of seeing his family that wouldn't frighten them to death.]

Those were the only two issues I was concerned about. I don't get the feeling you've lied to me, believe me, I'd be able to tell- but I'll need some time to tell my family that I won't be around as much.

[And that was already sparse as it was.]

I don't want to put them in jeopardy. The Fatui will be searching for me once I disappear, and it's certain that's the first place they'll go looking.

Edited 2022-03-06 23:55 (UTC)

[ would he be able to tell, though? well, she can test it out on another day, given that this is clearly not the last she'll be seeing of him. it's a pain in the ass, but it's a pain in the ass that she'll now have to deal with.

... maybe giving him to the heralds won't be such a bad idea. ]

Get your affairs in order, then. Do whatever you have to.

[ she's in no hurry to admit him into their ranks, not until she's certain of his objectives. who knows if this idea is that of his archon or someone else? ]

Is there anything else you need to demand for?

No. But I still do have something for you. Wait here.

[He gets up, disappearing down the hall before returning with a small envelope. Sealed, with no tampering to be seen on it.]

The letter from your brother, as I mentioned earlier. Here.

[He hands it over, sitting back down in the chair.]

[ there's that temptation to leave despite being told to wait. after all, their conversation has already ended and there's no point for her to linger. but he returns just as a quickly, and she finds herself staring at a sealed envelope.

... right. the letter from aether.

for one long moment, she hesitates to take it, if only because she already has a feeling of what could be inside of it. she knows her twin brother well enough to predict what he'll say, what he'll ask even if there's no guarantee for a reply. she takes it a moment after, but she doesn't really move to open or read it, standing up from her seat instead. ]

My Heralds will find you when you're ready. Just make sure you leave your Vision before you join them.

Of course.

[He's already got a good place to leave it- with his family, hidden somewhere where he's certain even the Fatui won't be able to find. He knows their tricks, but he's got his own tricks up his sleeve too.]

I look forward to working with you, [he says, giving her a cocky grin.] I promise I won't disappoint. I'll be standing next to you at your throne before you know it.

[ she says nothing to that, only walking towards his door. a portal appears the moment she opens it as if it's been waiting for her all this time. her herald, however, doesn't step out of the void, and lumine knows it might create chaos if one were to accidentally see it. there's a reason, after all, why she alone walked the streets of liyue harbour.

he looks forward to working with her, he says. she does wonder if the same goes for her, but she'll have to see that for herself. eventually, she thinks, if he'd even survive the heralds without his powers.

in any case, she leaves him without another word. she'll see him again when he's been deemed fit to see her. ]

[He'd returned home, unbeknownst to the Fatui. The only inkling that might of been left was when he'd gifted Ekaterina with an ornate antique from Xigu Antiques, a beautiful tea set that must of cost him more than her entire salary for a year. Extracting large amounts of money from his own coffers hadn't been an issue with her help either, and she knew better than to ask. The money had been transferred into his family's estate, for them to live on for as long as they needed it.

They'd discover this money later, after he'd gone home and told them he'd have to travel incredibly far from Snezhnaya. A trip that would keep him away for nothing less than a significant amount of time. His siblings were beside themselves, meaning he wouldn't be home for the holidays. No matter how many times they'd asked for more details, he wouldn't give them- only dodging the question and distracting them with something else to keep from answering.

The less they knew, the better.

It's early the next morning that he sneaks out, leaving his Vision and Harbinger mask behind, to meet the Heralds that wait for him just outside the village. Without looking back, he steps through the portal.

A few months pass in the Abyss at the palace, Childe hard at work trying to perfect the use of the elements with the other Heralds. Hydro comes easy to him, and he even begins working with Electro with some of the Lectors. It's difficult, the Heralds almost breaking him with how hard they battle with him, and how the Foul Legacy Transformation still wears on his body. But it becomes more natural every day. It seems being in the Abyss helps, as it did so long ago when he was first taught the transformation. He can feel himself becoming more twisted, not just mentally but physically. He can't help but wonder if the continued use of the transformation is speeding the process up, but he'd been warned this would happen.

It's almost as if a little part of his armor doesn't fade when he returns to his human body every time he uses it.

But he's been itching to see the Abyss Princess once more- if anything to show her exactly how far he's come, and wanting to challenge her to a spar, the spar he still hasn't gotten and that he still wants. He goes looking for her, checking the same spots she'd been in when he'd been in the Abyss as a prisoner months and months ago.]

[ he'll find her in the gardens as usual, a cryo mage flitting next to her. endless reports, endless findings—none of which truly help her in any way, but it's better than nothing at all. but lumine holds up a hand, the abyss mage pausing in its babbling, and she looks over her shoulder to look at him, an eyebrow mildly arched.

she hasn't seen him in a while, having left him in the care of the heralds. his powers, after all, are much closer to the kind of powers they possess, and so, they can teach him more than she can with him. the fact that he's here must mean that the heralds have deemed his progress enough—or at least, regained the ability he lost.

the mage bows at lumine before it disappears, leaving a flurry of snowflakes. ]

You've come to find me. I assume you need something from me again.

[ isn't that usually the reason why he seeks her? though this time around, she's not entirely sure what he's come to her for. surely, anything related to his abilities can be answered by the heralds or the lectors. ]

Can't I just seek you out just for the sake of speaking with you?

[As if the princess ever has time to do that, her quest against the gods as eternal as the abyss itself. He happily joins her, looking happier than he ever has while spending time in the Abyss- he's grown stronger, and he can feel it. If he truly wanted more power, this was the right decision to make.]

Do you have a moment? I have a proposal for you.

[His eyes shine, a strange quality considering the endless depth of the darkest ocean there, where no light can reach- serving as proof that whatever he's thought of is something he's excited about.]

It would be worth your time.

[ every time he says that, she always finds herself in an endless argument with him. which honestly gets exasperating at times, as he seems like the type who simply doesn't know when a conversation should end or when it's reached nonsense. a part of her is almost tempted to send him back to his tsaritsa.

flatly, gesturing back at the palace: ] If you wish for a fight, the Heralds will happily indulge you.

[ a.k.a. she's not in the mood to fight, so if he's looking for one, he's looking in the wrong place with the wrong person. surely, he's already had his fill of combat while training with them. she's heard that he's even trying to regain what powers his delusion provided him through the lectors. ]

Otherwise, what is it?

[Childe frowns; that was one of the things he wanted, is he really that obvious? Denied before he even had a chance to ask.]

Come now, I've been training with the other Heralds for months now. I think I'm ready for an even bigger challenge to really test my newfound strength out, wouldn't you say?

[His arms splay out, looking at her like a fight is exactly what's needed right now.]

Besides, I wanted an opportunity to prove myself to you. How can I do that if we don't spar at least once?

[ he's too predictable and spoiled, that's for certain. and it even shows on his expression, that rejected pout as if a coddled toddler denied of a toy that he wants. it's tempting, truth to be told, to give way to him, but lumine's quite sure it'll be trouble in the long run if she does. ]

What else do you need to prove? That you're capable of betraying me should I not meet your expectations in a fight?

[ how bold, and in her realm nonetheless. though she can't say a betrayal of sorts isn't to be expected from him as well. he's done it to his archon and he's fought her against every step the last time he was here. still, he should know his place.

she snaps her fingers, ropes of abyssal energy suddenly lashing out to wrap around his neck. ]

I already know that.

[It's fast enough that he doesn't move quite in time to dodge them, feeling the ropes grab him and wrap around his neck. Grimacing, he's a little confused. This was hardly the way he thought this conversation was going to go.]

That...wasn't exactly what I was going for...

[He grabs at one of the ropes, trying to loosen it from his neck. His voice is strained, but he still makes an effort to speak.]

Are you trying to say you'd lose to me, princess?

[Even now, though she could squeeze the breath out of him, he still challenges her.]

[ she watches him struggle for a minute longer before she loosens the ropes, the energy soon dissipating into nothing. ]

You already lost just from that alone.

[ it seems like he needs a bit more work before he can completely say he's ready for a bigger challenge, considering his reaction time. the mages should be able to help him out with that—if any of them will be willing to spend time with him. ]

It would be a disappointment if I'd lose you so quickly.

[He rubs his neck a few times, still being able to feel the dark energy around it despite being released, only grinning back at her. You know what.]

I guess you're right.

[It's not as if isn't already taking something away from this little exchange.]

It gives me a new goal to reach. Once I feel like I can get past that little trick of yours, I'll have to see what else I need to watch out for. You'll oblige me, surely? Since you're setting the standards for me here.

[ honestly, what is she getting out of this? it isn't as if she has a shortage of mages and heralds and lectors, all of whom are more than capable of fighting for her and whose loyalty is unquestionable.

while he—he is someone who willingly betrayed his archon, all for the sake of power. he's unpredictable, dangerous, and it would be better if she kept him on a tighter leash. it seems like she'll simply have to figure out a way to bind him closer to her, to ensure that he doesn't stray too far.

she walks closer to him, fingers reaching out to tip his chin lower so she can peer into his eyes. the light in those eyes has been snuffed out even before she's met him, but now, darkness swirls even more in those depths. any longer, and she might not even recognise him anymore.

quietly: ] My brother will hate it when he sees you like this.

[He stares back into those cold eyes of hers, confidence unwavering while she studies him. He wonders what she's thinking, and what she thinks of him- not in a way that he cares, but out of pure curiosity. Because not once does the thought cross his mind that he'll disappoint her in the end.]

I won't deny that, [he says, feeling the physical weight of the Abyss on his mind and body with the reality of her words.] He may never care to understand my reasoning behind my decision, but it was my decision to make.

[He tilts his head to the side, intrigued that she'd even brought it up. She must see the changes in him, but it feels odd to bring it up now. He's become part of the Abyss, and there's not going to be any coming back from that.]

My hope is that when our paths do cross again, he'll know that his sister is safe while I'm around. Though you two may be on opposite sides of this war, I'm sure your well being means much to him.

[ safe? with him? that's ... debatable, isn't it? not until she truly learns where his loyalties lie. ]

Does my brother trust you to that extent?

[ to feel relief at the knowledge that he's by her side. she wonders about that before she lets go of his face and turns away. based on what she's learned about her brother's journey, his trust in the fatui has remained the same: nonexistent. of course, his sentiment towards childe may be different, but who's to say he doesn't hold a certain amount of distrust towards the harbinger.

no matter, she thinks. like what he said, aether will eventually understand. ]

The impression seems to be otherwise.

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